Envelope making machine



June 5, 1956 H. F. AFFELDER ENvELoPE MAKING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 6, 1951 June 5, 1956 Filed 0G13. 6 1951 H. F. AFFELDER ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINE Filed OO.. 6, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l ICOM Arm sys ,s United States Patent ENvELoPE MAKING MACHINE Application October 6, 1951, Serial No. 250,177

6 Claims. (Cl. 93-62) This invention relates to an envelope` making machine and, more particularly, to the combination in .such a machine of an improved means for folding the top or sealing ap of envelopes produced thereby.

The conventional envelope making machine is adapted to make envelopes from blanks by first gumming the top or sealing flap, then folding and sealing the side and bottom flaps, the envelope being delivered withthe top flap creased at the point of fold, but either unfolded or folded upon the body of the envelope in the position assumed when it is subsequently sealed. Modern business methods have, however, created a demand for envelopes which are supplied with the top or sealing flap reverse folded; that is, with the said top or sealing liap folded back upon the face of the main body of the envelope. This facilitates the placing of addresses or other information upon the obverse side of the sealing ap of the envelope or on the outer surface of the bottom or side aps thereof by conventional mechanisms such as addressing machines or the like, since a stack of envelopes with the top flaps thus folded is of uniform height at all points thereover, thus permitting proper operation of the addressing machine. In contrast thereto, envelopes with extended top llaps or with conventionally folded top aps must either be presented with the said flaps extended or must be reverse folded by a separate operation in order to elfect printing or addressing of the normally concealed or inner faces of the said flaps. A separate folding operation increases the handling time and costs while a stack of envelopes having the sealing flaps extended is not of uniform height in all areas, since there will be two or more thicknesses of paper in the envelope body portion of the stack for every single thickness of paper in the lapzportion of the stack. This results in diiculties in operating the conventional addressing or printing machines since the feeding mechanismsv thereof frequently will not operate properly on a stack of articles of such non-uniform height.

An object of this invention is to provide'an improved envelope making machine which forms the envelopes from blanks and delivers the completed envelope with the sealing or top flap folded back upon the outer face. or

2,743,575 Patented June 5, 1 956 yICC improved -envelope making machine of the type mentioned above and provided with an improved folding means which is readily adapted to fold the top or sealing flap in either direction and which also acts to remove the curl of said ap resulting from the gumming thereof so that a separate decurling operation is not needed.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an envelope making machine with an improved folding mechanism which has no reciprocating parts, is self timing, is readily adapted to operate upon envelopes of different sizes, and which requires less time for set-up or adjustment when the machine is altered to make envelopes of size different from those previously produced. The invention further resides in certain novel features of construction and combination and arrangements of parts, and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains from the following description of the present preferred embodiment thereof described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters represent corresponding parts in the several views, in which:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat schematic view of an envelope making machine embodying the present preferred form of the invention, the view being principally in side elevation but with certain parts omitted and others broken away;

Fig. 2'is a fragmentary, enlarged plan view of the novel top flap folding and printing portion of the machine shown in Fig. l;

Fig.y 3 isa sectional view taken substantially on the section indicating line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a detached front elevational View of the 'novel folding assembly showing a deflector member or bar in place in the upper portion only of the assembly;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached view of the lower portion of the folding assembly shown in Fig. 4, as seen when looking at right angles to the surface of the asseribly, a deecting bar being shown in place therein; an

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The envelope making machine in which the invention is here illustrated as embodied is of the general type dis- Y closed in U. S. Patent 1,396,906 issued to Winkler et al.

on November 15, 1921. Therefore, only so much of the machine is here illustrated and described as is necessary to reveal the manner in which the instant invention is embodiedand functions in such a machine in combination with the conventional mechanisms thereof.

customary address side of the main body of the envelope. v

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved envelope making machine as delned in the preceding paragraph and in which means are provided to print upon either face of the top or sealing ap after the latter has been folded, or passed through the folding mechanism with the top ap extended, and before the envelope is delivered from the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an envelope making machine with an improved folding mechanism for the top or sealing flap of the envelope such'that the said ap may be folded either against the front face or the'back of the envelope or with the sealing or top flap unfolded and extending in alignment with the main body of the envelope.

As shown in Fig. l, the envelope making machine comprises an elongated frame, generally designated 10, one end of which has a raised portion 11 on which is provided a conventional feeding mechanism 12. This feeding mechanism is of the type adapted to receive suitably shaped blanks in stacked arrangement and to feed the A still further object of the invention is to provide an latter one at a time in overlapping relationship with the side of the blanks corresponding to the inner side of the completed envelopes lowermost and with the top or sealing aps trailing in overlapping relationship and with their adjacent trailing edges spaced with respect to each other, as is well known in the art.

The envelope blanks thus fed are conveyed by suitable belts past a sealing lap gumming mechanism, generally designated 13, where the exposed margins or portions of the top or sealing flaps are supplied with glue, gum or other adhesive, the envelope blanks being continuously carried past the said gumming mechanism and from thence above an airbox 14, extending longitudinally beneath the frame 10, by means of drying belts 15 and 16.

As is well known in the art, the belts and 16 extend about a driving drum 17 supported at the rear of the frame 10 and continue forwardly from the said rear p0rtion of the frame to an intermediate portion thereof, generally designated 1S, extending substantially horizontally and to which the blanks are delivered by the drying belts.

The intermediate or table-like portion 18 of the envelope machine is provided with a separating or spacing mechanism, generally designated 19, which sequentially exerts an accelerating force upon each envelope blank, thus moving it rapidly forwardly and separating the blanks which heretofore have traveled in the overlapping arrangement in which they were fed. From the spacer or separating mechanism 19, the blanks then move sequentially through top and bottom creasing rollers 20 and side creasing rolls 21 which may be of conventional construction and which provide scoring or creasing of the blank intermediate the main body and the sides, top and bottom aps thereof to facilitate folding of these portions. From the creasing rolls 21 the blanks are moved through a suitable side flap folding mechanism 22, whichV may be of the plowshare type and which acts to fold the side aps inwardly upon the main body of the envelope. From the side flap folding mechanism the blanks next pass through a means 23 for applying paste, gum or other adhesive to the margins of the overlapping aps, and thereafter the bottom flap is folded back upon the gurnmed side aps by a conventional mechanism 24, the bottom ap then being smoothed upon the gummed side aps by smoothing rollers 25, as is well understood in the art.

The mechanisms thus far described are conventional and operate as will be readily understood to provide a partially completed envelope moving towards the right of the machine, as viewed in Fig. l, with the side and bottom aps folded and sealed in overlapping relationship, thus forming the main body of the envelope. This partially completed envelope is traveling through the machine with its top ap trailing and with the inner surface thereof uppermost.

The partially completed envelopes next pass through the novel top or sealing flap folding means 26 which, as hereinafter described, is capable of processing the envelopes in any of three different modes: namely, (l) folding the said top aps in the conventional manner with their inner surfaces against the backs of the envelopes; or, (2) folding the top flaps in the reverse manner so that the said flaps are folded back against the front or address side of the envelopes; or (3) by passing the envelopes through the folding mechanism without folding of the top flap. In any of the above-mentioned modes of handling the envelopes, however, the folding mechanism imparts an uncurling action upon the top flap to remove therefrom the inherent curl produced by the gumming and drying operations.

From the top or sealing flap folding mechanism 26 the envelopes next pass through a printing mechanism, generally designated 27, which is adapted to print any desired information upon the envelope as it passes therethrough, the envelopes being presented in proper position for the printing by a. registry mechanism, generally designated 28, which conveys the envelopes from the folding mechanism to the printing mechanism. From the printing mechanism 27 the envelopes are delivered and stacked by conventional mechanism 29 and may be removed for boxing or other operations.

Power for operating the entire envelope making machine is preferably derived from a single source of power, as, for example, from an electric motor 30 which is supported upon the frame 10 and is connected with the various above-mentioned mechanisms for forming the envelope. For this purpose the motor 30 is lshown as having a chain drive to a sprocket wheel 31 which is connected through bevel gears 32 with a jack shaft 33 extending longitudinally of the frame 10 and suitably rotatably supported thereon. Adjacent the forward end of 4 the jack shaft 33 are bevel gears 34 providing a power takeoff for a belt drum 35 about which the drying belts 15 and 16 pass. The gears 34 also provide a power takeoff for the mechanism for operating the feeding mechanism 12 and the belt or other mechanism 36 for carrying the fed blanks through the gumming mechanism 13.

Adjacent its rear end, the jack shaft 33 carries a worm 37 which drives a worm wheel 38 connected with the drum 17 for the drying belts 15 and 16. Intermediate its ends, the shaft 33 is provided with another set of bevel gears 39 which operate through a suitable sprocket and chain drive 40 to provide the drive for the spacer mechanism 19. The creasing rolls or mechanisms 20, 21, the gummer 23, folding mechanism 24 and the smoothing rollers 25 are also driven from the jack shaft 33 in timed relationship with respect to each other, this bcing preferably effected through suitable trains of gears which have been omitted for the sake of simplicity and clarity but which are operatively connected with the spacer mechanism as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

The novel ap folding mechanism 26, the printing mechanism 27, the registry mechanism 28, and the delivery mechanism are also driven in timed relationship with respect to each other and from the main power motor by a takeoff comprising a sprocket and chain assembly, generally designated 41, and which may be connected with the shaft on which is mounted the main sprocket wheel 31.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the chain of the sprocket and chain assembly 41 passes about a sprocket 42 connected with a shaft 43 supported in the frame 10. This shaft is provided with a spur gear 44 which meshes with an idler gear 45 running in mesh with a gear 46 on a shaft 47. The shaft 47 extends transversely of the frame 10 and is provided with a roller or drum 48 forming the lower member of the smoothing roll assembly, generally designated 25. The shaft 43, intermediate the sides of the frame 10, is also provided with a gear 49 which drives a gear 50 through the intermeshing gears 51 and 52. The gear 50 is connected with a shaft 53 which carries spaced rollers 54, 55 and 56 cooperating with the larger roller 48 to effect the smoothing operation upon the bottom and side aps after they have been provided with adhesive and folded in overlapping relationship.

From the smoothing mechanism 25 the envelopes are fed forwardly to the folding mechanism 26 by cooperating upper' and lower rollers 57 and 58, the upper roller 57 preferably being formed of a plurality of narrow spaced members, while the lower roller is an elongated unitary member. These rollers are driven in timed relationship with respect to each other and to the smoothing rolls by l geared drive from the shaft 47 of the latter. Thus, as will be seen in Fig. 2, the shaft 47 is provided with a gear 59 which meshes with an idler gear 60 rotatably supported, as indicated at 60a, in a side member 61 of a supplementary frame connected with the main frame 10. The gear 60 meshes with a gear 62 connected with one end of the shaft 63 for the lower roller 58 of the two aforementioned rollers 57, 58, the other end of this shaft being journalled in a side frame member 64 similar to the member 61. The shaft 63, adjacent the frame member 64, is provided with a gear 65 directly beneath and meshing with a gear 66 0n the shaft 67 for the upper roller 57.

The aforementioned gear 65 on the shaft 63, and which is beneath the gear 66, also meshes with an idler gear 68 supported on the supplemental frame 64. The latter gear in turn meshes with a gear 69 on a shaft 70 extending transversely of the machine and having an elongated roller 71 intermediate its ends. The gear 69 in turn meshes with a gear 72 on a shaft 73 supported directly above the shaft and having an elongated roller 74 intermediate its ends cooperating with the roller 71. The pair of rollers 71, 74 form a part of the folding mechanism 26 and .serve to feed the envelopes therethrough. The

gear 69 is also in mesh with a gear 75 on a shaft 76, which shaft is parallel with the shaft 70 and is provided with van elongated roller 77 intermediate its ends cooperating with the roller 71 on the shaft 78. The gear 75 meshes with a gear 78 on a shaft 79 directly beneath the shaft 76 and the shaft 79 is provided with an elongated roller 80 which cooperates with the roller 77 to form the second pair of feeding rollers of the folding mechanism 26.

Between the rollers 71 and 80 is positioned one of the envelope body diverting assemblies 81 of the folding mechanism. As shown in Figs. and 6, this assembly comprises lower and upper plates 82, 83 which are secured together in spaced, parallel relationship and are removably clamped to side bracket members 84 and 85 carried by the supplementary side frames 61 and 64, respectively. The bracket members 84 and 85 each have one leg bolted to the said side frame members while the other leg thereof is clamped between a plate such as 86 and the lower plate 83 of the diverting assembly by screws such as 87. It will be apparent therefore that by loosening screws 87 the clamping plates 86 may be loosened and the entire diverting assembly 81 slipped from the machine.

The plates 82, 83 of the envelope body diverting assembly 81 are preferably disposed at an angle of substantially 45 with respect to the path of travel of an envelope through the machine and extend downwardly and rearwardly therefrom with the space between the plates being substantially in alignment with the axis of the roller 77, as will be seen from Fig. 3. The adjacent forward edges of the plates 82 and 83 are preferably rounded and the said forward edge of the lower plate 82 extends slightly forwardly of the outer edge of the plate 83 due to the angular position of the assembly. Adjustably positioned upon the plates 82 and 83 is a stop member or bar 88. In the illustrated embodiment, this stop bar has spaced fingers 89 which can project into elongated spaced openings in the plate members 82, 83, see Figs. 5 and 6, the stop bar being adjustably held in position by screws, such as 90, threaded into plate members such as 90a, which t into the space between the plates 82 and 83.

The operation of the folding mechanism thus far described is to deflect or divert the body of an envelope downwardly from its path of travel through the machine and into the space between the plates 82, 83 of the assembly 81. Thus, as an envelope body is moved forwardly through the rollers 57, 58, it is gripped by the rollers 71 and'74. Then, the leading edge of the envelope body strikes a deilecting bar 91 supported adjacent but spaced from the roller 71 and intermediate the rollers 74 and 77. This deects the body of the envelope so that it moves downwardly between the rollers 71 and 77 whereupon the leading edge of the envelope body strikes the outer edge of the plate 82 of the assembly 81 with the result that the body of the envelope enters the space between the plates 82 and 83, the extent of such entry being determined by the position of the stop member 88. Consequently, the bo-dy of the envelope is diverted back towards the top tiap with the angle between the inner surface of the top flap and the adjacent portion of the envelope body being greater than 180.

When the travel of the body of the envelope between the plates 82, 83 is terminated as just mentioned, the continued feeding of the top or sealing flap of the envelope, which is still between the rollers 71, 74 and 71, 77 causes an outward buckling of the portion of the envelope intermediate the main body and the top or sealing ap and this buckled portion enters the bite between the rollers 77 and 80. Consequently, the rollers 77 and 80 impart a feeding movement to both the top or sealing flap and.

to the main body of the envelope so that the envelope now is fed forwardly between the rollers 77 and 80 with the top or sealing flap progressively folded back upon the front of the body of the envelope, the envelope body being withdrawn from the space between the plates 82 and 83 by this feeding movement. As a result the envelope is delivered to the registry mechanism 28 with the top 8 or sealing ap of the envelope reverse folded so that the inner face of the said flap is uppermost and may be subjected to a printing action from the printing mechanism 27, as hereinafter described.

The above-mentioned operation of the folding mechanism has not only resulted in a folding of the sealing ap in reverse position to that in which it is normally provided, but, by virtue of the bending of the said top sealing iiap in the reverse direction about the roller 71, the curl of the margin of the sealing flap, due to the prior gumrning thereof, is removed simultaneous with the folding operation and no separate uncurling operation is needed.

In addition to operating as just described, the folding mechanism may also be utilized to deliver an envelope therethrough without the top flap folded upon the body of the envelope. This may be effected by inserting a deflector bar or member 92 into the entrance of the space between the plates 82, 83 as is shown in Fig. 5. This deector bar or member is like the member 91 and preferably has a somewhat concave outer surface and rearwardly projecting spaced lugs or portions 93, 94 extending into the space between the plates 82, 83. The bar 92 is removably secured in place by clamping screws 9S extending through clamping bars 96 and threaded into the said projecting portions or lugs 93, 94, the clamping screws 95 each extending through an elongated slot of one of the plate members 82, 83 with the bars 96 positioned thereover, as will be seen from Fig. 5.

When the apparatus is conditioned by the provision of a vdeflecting bar 92 at the entrance to the assembly 81, envelopes passing through the machine are fed as before between the rollers 71, 74 and are deflected downwardly between the rollers 71 and 77 by the bar 91. Now, however, the body of the envelope cannot enter into the space between the plates 82, 83 but is further deflected by the bar or member 92 into the bite of the rollers 77 and 80 so that the body of the envelope passes sequentially through the rollers 71, 74, 77 and 80 without having the body portion retarded with respect to the travel of the trailing top or sealing flapportion. There is therefore no folding action imposed upon any part of the envelope so that it is delivered with the flap still in trailing position, the curl of the margin or edge of the flap due to the gumming operation, however, having been removed by its passage between the rollers of the folding mechanism.

In accordance with this invention, the folding mechanisrn thereof is also provided with a means for folding the top or sealing flap of the envelopes in conventional position; that is, with the inner side of the top Hap in engagement with the back of the body of the envelope.

This is effected by providing an envelope body diverting assembly 97 similar to the assembly 81 but'supported upon the side frames 61 and 64 in a position such that the space between the spaced lower and upper members 9S and 99 of the mechanism is inclined upwardly at an angle in the order of 45 to the path of travel of the envelopes through the mechanism. As shown in Fig. 3, the assembly 97 preferably has the space between the plates 98 and 99 substantially aligned with the axis of the roller 71 and with the inner edges of the plates 98, 99 positioned between the rollers 74 and 77.

The envelope body diverting assembly 97, like the assembly 81, is provided with an adjustable stop member 100 having spaced finger portions 101 extending-into the spaced slots of the plates 98, 99, the stop member 100 being held in adjusted position by screws 102 cooperating with clamping plates 103 in the same manner that the stop member 88 of the assembly 81 is clamped. The aforementioned deecting plate or bar 91 is formed similar to the deecting member or bar 92 and is removably supported in the space between the plates 98 and 99 in the same manner as is the bar or member 92.

When it is desired to fold envelopes with the top flaps disposed in the conventional manner, the deflectingbar amants or member 91 is removed from the assembly 97 and the bar 92 is placed in the assembly 81. Envelopes then passing through the machine are fed forwardly by the rollers 71 and 74 and the leading edge of the body of the envelope strikes the leading edge of the lower plate 98 of the assembly 97 so that the said body of the envelope is diverted into the space between the plates 98 and 99 with the result that body of the envelope forms an angle less than 180 as measured between the inner surface of the top flap and the body of the envelope. The movement of the body into the assembly 97 is stopped by the member 100 while the trailing top flap continues to be fed forwardly by the rollers 71 and 74 so that the portion of the envelope between the body and the top or sealing flap thereof buckles and this buckled portion is received in the bite of the rollers 71 and 77. This imparts a feeding movement to both the body and top flap of the envelope so that the entire envelope is now fed forwardly between the rollers 77 and 80, being deflected in this direction by the deflecting bar 92, with the result that the envelope has the top flap folded with its inner surface upon the back of the body of the envelope and the latter is delivered with the front of the envelope uppermost. As before, the travel of an envelope between the rollers of the folding mechanism has effected a decurling operation upon the top or sealing tlap due to the curvature of the flap about the small diameter rollers so that the envelope as delivered no longer has the edge of the top scaling flap curled where the gum Was applied thereto.

The envelopes delivered from the folding mechanism 26 are received and conveyed to the printing mechanism 27 by the registry mechanism 28. This mechanism, in the present preferred embodiment of the invention, cornprises spaced chains 104 and 105, see Fig. 2, which carry spaced projections or lugs such as 106 for engagement with each separate envelope E to effect orientation of the latter and delivery of the same to the printing mechanism 27 in the proper position and at the proper speed. For

this purpose the chains 104 and 105 are driven by sprocket wheels 107 and 10S connected with a shaft 109 extending transversely of the machine and provided adjacent its outer end with a spur gear 110 which meshes with a larger gear 111 driven by intermeshing gears 112 and 113, the latter being driven by the aforementioned gear 46, see Fig. 2. The chains 104 and 105 extend about idler sprockets such as 114 adjacent the roller 80 of the feeding mechanism 26 and the tension of the chains may be adjusted by a slack adjusting means 115, comprising a bracket 116 and sprocket 117, as will be readily understood. The chains 104, 105 travel adjacent the top surface of an inclined plate 118 and while the envelopes are carried thereby, side registry of the envelopes is secured by side plates or members 119 and 120, see Fig. 3.

The envelopes may be held in engagement with the chains f 104 and 105 by any suitable means, for example, by a plate or strip 121 extending over the surface 118 in spaced relation thereto.

The gear 111 is supported on a shaft 122 extending transversely of the frame 10 and on the end of this shaft, opposite the gear 111, is a sprocket wheel 123. A chain 124 extends about the sprocket 123 and a sprocket 125 on a shaft 126 of the upper roll or member 127 of the printing couple for the printing mechanism 27. Cooperating with the upper roll 127 is a lower or pressure roll 128 of the printing couple which may be driven at the same speed as the roll 127 by cooperating gears thereon, as is wel] understood in the art. Consequently, the printing couple is driven in timed relationship with the registry mechanism so that the printing is effected at the proper location on the envelope. The roll 127 is adapted to transfer the information to be printed upon t'ne envelope in accordance with any known system of printing, ink or other printing fluid being supplied thereto from a reservoir 129 by suitable rolls or other ink feeding mechanism, generally designated 130, see Fig. 3.

Adjacent the delivery end of the registry mechanism 28 is a pair of cooperating rollers 131 and 132 which are adapted to be driven by a gear 133 mounted on the shaft of the lower roll of the printing couple. The gear 133 meshes with an idler gear 134 which in turn meshes with a gear 135 upon the rollers 132 and the gear 135 in turn meshes with a like gear, not shown, on roller 131. These rollers are to provide support for the envelope and to assist feeding thereof through the printing couple so that the printing is not smudged or otherwise injured by slippage between the envelope and the printing couple. lt will be understood, however, that the rollers 131, 132 are driven in timed relationship with the registry mechanism and the printing mechanism and that an envelope E does not lose contact with the registry mechanism before it has entered the printing couple so that the rolls 131 and 132 do not affect the registry imparted thereto by the mechanism 28.

It is believed that the cooperation of the folding and printing mechanism is now clearly apparent. Suice it to note than an envelope may be folded with its top or sealing flap in reverse position through use of the deflecting bar 91 and operation of the diverting assembly 81. When an envelope, folded in this manner, is delivered to the registry mechanism 28, the inner surface of the sealing flap F of the envelope E is uppermost, see Fig. 2. Consequently, the envelope, after being oriented by the side registry means 119, 120 and by the spaced lugs such as 106 on the chins 104 and 105, is delivered by the latter to the printing couple 127, 123 in position for having information printed upon the said inner surface of the envelope flap by the printing roll 127. During the travel of the envelope between the members 127, 128 of the printing couple, it is assisted in that travel by the rolls 131, 132.

ln the event the envelopes are to be delivered with their top or sealing aps in normal position the diverting assembly 81 is provided with a dellecting bar or member 92 and the deecting bar or member 91 will be removed from the diverting assembly 97. Consequently, the envelopes are now delivered to the registry mechanism 28 with the top or sealing flaps folded in the normal position and with the fronts of the envelopes uppermost, The envelopes thus delivered are then individually oriented by the registry mechanism 28 and moved in proper registry through the printing couple 127, 128 at which time a message may be printed upon the address or front portions of the envelopes.

In the event the envelopes are to be delivered without folding of the top or scaling aps, both the deecting members or bars 91, 92 are inserted in the assemblies 81 and 97, respectively, whereupon the envelopes are delivered to the registry mechanism with the top flaps trailing the main bodies of the envelopes and with the inner faces of those tlaps uppermost. In the event the upper or top sealing flaps are substantially the same width as the main bodies of the envelopes, so that the registry lugs 106 on the chains 104, 105 are now to engage the edges of the top flaps these lugs are properly spaced for this operation or other registry chains having properly spaced lugs are supplied. The envelopes thus delivered are oriented by the registering ldevice and moved in registry through the printing couple, as will now be apparent, at which time printing may be effected upon both the inner surfaces of the top sealing flaps and the adjacent portion of the bodies of the envelopes, or upon one only of these surfaces as may be desired and depending upon the nature of the printing surface employed.

lt will be evident that, while the mechanism herein illustrated and described is preferably employed with the registry and printing means as disclosed herein, envelopes may be manufactured and delivered with their flaps properly folded with or without printing since the printing inechanism 27 may be readily disconnected or moved to an inoperative position. Furthermore, by simply not supplying ink to the reservoir L29, the envelopes may be made to pass therethrough without any printing thereon. It will also be apparent that the printing mechanism may be so constructed that the printing roll of the printing couple is lowermost or both rolls of the printing couple may be employed to print upon adjacent surfaces of the envelopes passing therethrough. These and other modes of using the apparatus will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art as will various alterations and details of the construction. For example, while the present preferred embodimentof the invention has thel envelope body diverting assemblies 81 and 97 disposed at substantially 45 with respect to the path of travel of the envelope through the machine, it may be possible to alter this angle. Likewise, changes may be made in the mode of mounting the several parts and the drives for effecting the timed relationship of their operations. It should be noted, however, that the folding mechanism has no reciprocating parts and hence not only reduces noise and, vibration of the machine but also is self-timing so that no timing of the rolls 71, 74, 77 and 80 is necessary.

Itis to` be understood, therefore, that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in con.

siderable detail, this is only for the purposes of illustration and the invention is not considered as limited to the details of construction except as required by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

l. In an envelope making machine including means to form envelopes from blanks and move the formed en- .velopes substantially horizontally with their flaps in trailing relationship with respect to the bodies thereof and with the inner surfaces of said flaps uppermost, the combination therewith of a top flap folding mechanism comprising means adapted to divert the body of an envelope downwardly relative to its top flap while so moving, means to arrest movement of said diverted body while continuing forward movement of the top ilap of the envelope thereby causing buckling of the material of the envelope intermediate the body and the top flap thereof, means adapted to divert the body of an envelope upwardly from its substantially horizontal path of travel, means to arrest movement of said upwardly diverted body while continuing the forward movement of the top flap of the envelope thereby causing a buckling of the ma-l terial of the envelope intermediate the body and the top ap thereof, means to selectively render one or the othery of said diverting and associated arresting means inopera.

tive, and means to grip the portion of the envelope buckled as the result of the said diversion of the body either upwardly or downwardly and impart a forward feeding movement therethrough to both said body and flap thereby selectively folding said flap upon either the front or the back of the body of the envelope in accor ance with that one of said diverting means which is op erative.

2. In an envelope making machine including means to form envelopes from blanks and move the formed envelopes with their top aps in trailing relationship with respect to the bodies thereof, the combination therewith of a top ap folding mechanism comprising a first pair of cooperating rollers, a second pair of cooperating rollers disposed with the bite thereof out of alignment with respect to the bite of said rst pair of rollers, a first pair of spaced parallel members positioned with the space therebetween extending in substantial alignment with the lower of said first pair of rollers and at an angle with respect to the path of travel of an envelope through said first pair of rollers, means between said members to determine the extent of movement of an envelope body therein, a second pair of spaced parallel members positioned with the space therebetween extending in substantial alignment With the upper of said second pair of rollers and in opposite direction with respect to said first pair of parallel members, means between said second pair of parallel members to determine the extent of movement of an envelope body therein, and removable means adapted to be positioned at the entrance between either or both of said pairs of parallel members to prevent entrance of an' envelope body therebetween.

3. In an envelope making machine, the combination of means for feeding envelope blanks from a supply thereof, a gumming means, a drying means, means for conveying the fed blanks sequentially past said gumming means and said drying means in a manner to provide adhesive on a marginal portion of the top aps of the blanks, means for creasing the top and bottom flaps and the side flaps of the blanks as the latter are moved through the machine, means for folding the creased side aps, means for applying an adhesive to the folded side flaps, means for folding the bottom ap of each blank onto the side ilaps thereof thereby providing an envelope body, means to advance the formed envelope body substantially horizontally with the top flap thereof in trailing relationship, means to divert the body of the envelope downwardly from its path of travel, means to arrest movement of the said diverted body While continuing the forward movement of the top iiap of the envelope thereby causing buckling of the material of the envelope intermediate the body and the top fap thereof, means to grip said buckled portion and impart a forward feeding movement therethrough to both said body and ilapv thereby folding the said ap back upon the front of the body of the envelope, a printing couple spaced from said gripping and feeding means and means receiving the envelopes with flap folded back upon the front of the envelopes from said gripping means and conveying the said envelopes to said printing couple and to effect registry of said envelopes with respect to said printing couple, whereby printing is effected on the inside surface of said top ap after the latter has been folded back upon the body of the envelope.

4. In an envelope making machine, the combination of means for feeding envelope blanks from a supply thereof, a gumming means, a drying means, means for conveying the fed blanks sequentially past said gumming means and said drying means in a manner to provide adhesive on a marginal portion of the top aps of the blanks, means for creasing the top and bottom flaps and the side aps of the blanks as the latter are moved through the machine, means for folding the creased side flaps, means for applying an adhesive to the folded side aps, means for folding the bottom flap of each blank onto the side flaps thereof thereby providing an envelope body, means to advance the formed envelope body substantially horizontally with the top flap thereof in trailing relationship, means adapted to divert the body of the envelope downwardly from its path of travel, means to arrest movement of the said diverted body while continuing the forward movement of the top flap of the envelope thereby causing buckling of the material of the envelope intermediate the body and the top flap thereof, means adapted to divert the body of the envelope upwardly from its substantially horizontal path of travel, means to arrest movement of the said upwardly diverted body while continuieg the forward movement of the top flap of the envelope thereby causing a buckling of the material of the envelope intermediate the body and the top flap thereof, means to selectively render one of the other of said diverting and associated arresting means inoperative, and means to grip the portion of the envelope buckled as the result of diversion either upwardly or downwardly from its path of travel and impart a forward feeding movement therethrough to both said body and flap thereby folding the said flap upon the body of the envelope in either direction in accordance with the diverting means utilized.

5. In an envelope making machine, the combination of means for feeding envelope blanks from a supply thereof, a gumming means, a drying means, means for con- 1 1 veying the fed blanks sequentially past said gumming means and said drying means in a manner' to provide adhesive on a marginal portion of the top flaps of the blanks, means for creasing the top and bottom flaps and the side flaps of the blanks as the latter are moved through the machine, means for folding the creased side flaps, means for applying an adhesive to the folded side aps, means for folding the bottom ap of each blank onto the side tiaps thereof thereby providing an envelope body, means to advance the formed envelope body with the top flap thereof in trailing relationship, a first pair of cooperating rollers having the bite thereof substantially aligned with the path of travel of the envelope from said bottom iiap folding means, a second pair of cooperating rollers disposed with the bite thereof out of alignment with respect to the bite of said first pair of rollers, a first pair of spaced parallel members positioned with the space therebetween extending in substantial alignment with the lower of said first pair of rollers and at an angle with respect to the path of travel of an envelope from said bottom ap folding means, means between said members to determine the extent of movement of an envelope body therein, a second pair of spaced parallel members positioned with the space therebetween extending in substantial alignment with the upper of said second pair of rollers and in opposite direction with respect to said first pair of parallel members, means between said second pair of parallel members to determine the extent of movement 12 of an envelope body therein, and removable means adapted to be positioned at the entrance between either or both of said pair of members to prevent entrance of an envelope body therebetween.

6. The combination as defined in claim 5 and further comprising a printing couple spaced from said second pair of rollers and means to convey an envelope from said second pair of rollers to said printing couple and effect registry of the envelope with the said printing couple.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,396,906 Winkler et al Nov. 15, 1921 1,550,851 Trantman et al Aug. 25, 1925 1,580,441 Parks Apr. 13, 1926 1,588,844 La Bombard et al June 15, 1926 1,803,370 Tufts May 5, 1931 1,807,867 Novick June 2, 1931 1,832,988 Kleinschmidt et al Nov. 24, 1931 1,842,926 Winkler et al Jan. 26, 1932 1,843,763 Davidson Feb. 2, 1932 1,886,832 Novick Nov. 8, 1932 2,132,227 Winkler et al. Oct. 4, 1938 2,190,414 Davidson et al Feb. 13, 194() 2,307,907 Becker Jan. 12, 1943 2,612,088 yHeywood Sept. 30, 1952 

